The movie business is not a cheap industry; take for instance The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, with its budget of $250 million, and its prequel The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, which cost a cool $225 million compared to the first instalment The Hobbit: An Expected Journey at only $180 million. But don’t let the dollar signs fool you; the movie business is also a very rewarding industry for filmmakers who get it right. The Hobbit franchise (all three films are available on Showmax) each racked up almost a billion dollars in returns, making the first, second and the third instalment the 30th, 39th and 38th highest grossing movies of all time, respectively. Forgive my numbers talk; I’m merely trying to talk myself up to appear smarter than I really am. Call me sometime. No?

On a serious note though, forget all the bad movies you’ve watched in 2017 so far. I know I’ve sat through a few unpleasant ones that made me question my faith in legends like Tom Cruise. The Mummy, what was that? I could say a lot more about Cruise’s failed reboot but that’s none of my business. For now.

These movies on Showmax will restore your faith in the movie business, because the people who put these together knew their stuff, and did it right.

To see a thing of beauty like Charlize Theron transform into the monster that is Aileen Wuornos is nothing short of phenomenal. Her performance won Theron an Academy Award for Best Actress, among other accolades. Based on a true story, Monster tells the story of sex worker Aileen and her journey to becoming one of the most notorious serial killers in America. A must-watch for everyone, Theron’s performance will blow you away. Watch now »

Leonardo DiCaprio could play a motionless character and still deliver an outstanding performance. In Shutter Island – a Scorsese masterpiece – DiCaprio is Edward Daniels, a US Marshall investigating the disappearance of a patient in a psychiatric facility. But all is not as it seems – brace yourself for a massive plot twist that will shake you to the core.

If there is one thing the world can agree on, it’s that we all miss Angelina Jolie on screen. Between raising six kids and directing movies, she hardly has any time left for the rest of us. Sure, she is busy and all but that doesn’t mean we stop wanting her back. Enough of my whining, Jolie and Clint Eastwood come together in Changeling to create the touching story of a little boy’s disappearance and his mother’s perseverance to search for the truth. Watch now »

The first time I ever fell in love with a movie soundtrack was in Gladiator but don’t let me bore you with talks of music composers and film scores. In Gladiator, Russel Crowe plays Maximus Decimus Meridius, a general who is betrayed and disgraced by the power hungry son of the emperor. Now a slave, Maximus fights his way to the top to become the finest gladiator in Rome and seek revenge. Watch now »

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer from German filmmaker Tom Tykwer is as intriguing as it is unsettling; a notorious murderer obsessed with finding the perfect scent is running loose in Paris, targeting young beautiful women in order to preserve their scents and create the world’s best perfume. Watch now »

This list would not be complete without Showmax’s honourable mentions:

Image: Paramount

Dreamgirls – Long before there was Beyoncé’s ruthless army of Beyhive (or is it Beehive?), there was Dreamgirls, a musical about three black female soul singers, starring Beyoncé, Jennifer Hudson and Anika Noni Rose, with Hudson as the breakout star. Watch now »

Image: Videovision

Phantom of the Opera– Shameless actress Emmy Rossum and Gerard Butler star in this musical drama where a disfigured musical genius (Butler) becomes obsessed with a young opera singer (Rossum). Here’s a little fact you might not know about Phantom of the Opera: South African Celia Boba was nominated for an Oscar for set design in this film. Watch now »

About the author

Jennifer Ochieng

I'm a Kenyan creative writer with eight years' experience in both the SEO and entertainment industries. I like writing stories about people I've met, but mostly about those I see on TV. Sometimes, when I'm melancholic, I write poetry as well. More about Jennifer Ochieng

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